Crate.



AJT. VAN DOLAH. CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1911.

1,104,532, Patented July 21, 1914 I j v sfgzms snnm z.

A. J. VAN DOLAH.

CRATE,

APPLICATION IELED MAY 16, 1911.

- Patented July 21, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q Q a Q I "f I I g l q 2 H Q1 N ARTHUR d1, VAN DOLAH, 0F LINNTON,OREGON.

CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1911. Serial No. 627,492.

To all whom it may concern: p

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. VAN

1 Donna, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Linnton, in the county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, haveinvented certain new Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to crates which may be quickly set up for use andreadily knocked down and folded compactly for transportation orshipment.

A further object of the invention is to construct a crate of this class,which when set up or folded the parts of the same may be clamped in amanner to prevent said parts from becoming dislodged accidentally.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan view of the crate. Fig. 2 is aside elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view, Fig. l is a'transverse sectionalview. Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing the crate in its folded orknocked down position, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in sectionto clearly show the manner of connecting the rotary latches. Fig. 7 is asimilar view showing the manner of mounting the pivot pins.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the sides of therate and 2 the ends thereof. The sides and ends are formed from aplurality of horizontally arranged bars 3, the ends of said barsbeingarranged in overlapping relation and provided with apertures throughwhich are passed pivot pins 4:, said pins having heads 5 formed at theirupper ends, and their lower ends bent at right-angles, whereby said pinsare secured in their proper position. Hingedly connected to one of theuppermost side bars is a top 6, said top hav-- ing each'of its endsprovided withslots 7, in which are engaged rotary latches 8, saidlatches being secured in the upper 'face of the end bars; and areprovided with rightangle extensions 9, said latches being adapted torotate to hold the top in its fastened position when the crate is setup. A slot 10 is formed in the front edge of the top 6 the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter described. A latch 10 similar to thosehereinbefore mentioned is secured in-the outer] uppermost side bar andis adapted to be swung in a position over the front edge of and usefulImprovements in.

the top 6. It will be noted that the top-6, whenthe crate is in its setup positiomrests upon the uppermost end bars and between the uppermostside bars and the upper face Patented July 21, 1914. e

of the same is arranged on a. planewith.

the uppper faces of the side bars.-

A bottom 11 is hingedlyconnected to the lowermost side bar, and like thetop is pro vided at its opposite ends with slots 12, for engaging withrotary latches 13, said latches being secured to the lowermost end barsand are formed in a manner similar to the latches 8 hereinbeforementioned. The bottom is provided with a slot 14 in its rear edge, thepurpose of. which will be hereinafter described.

To the outer uppermost horizontal bar and to the lowermost rearhorizontal bar are secured rotary latches 15, said latches being formedin a manner similar to those hereinbefore mentioned. The latch securedto the uppermost bar is adapted to engage with the slot 14 formed in thebottom and the latch 15. secured to the lowermost bar is adapted toengage with the slot 10 formed.

in the top 6 when the crate is collapsed or folded, thereby holding thetop and bottom securely upon the side bars.

From this construction it will be seen that a crate has been producedwherein the sides and ends are arranged in spaced parallel relation,thereby producing a crate which i is especially adapted for shippingfruits and vegetables and one which may be quickly and convenientlyfolded or knocked down for shipment, and when in such condition willoccupy a very little space, and one in which the top and bot-tom areheld securely in place upon one of the sides thereby preventing the samefrom becoming displaced and having the hinges'broken during rough fhandling of the same necessitated shipment.

What is claimed, is

A folding crate comprising pivotally connected side and end members, topand bottom members oppositely hinged to the side members and foldableagainst the latter respectively when the crate is knocked down, said topand bottom members being pro vided with recesses in each end and intheir free edges, pins rotatably mounted 1 in the end members at, thetop andbottom of'same,

said pins having laterally directed outer .ends and the shanks of'saidpins being movableffreely through the 'recesses'in' the top throughand bottom members respectively as said crate i's knocked down and setup and the ends of said pins being further adapted to overlie thetop andbottom members when the pins are rotated to dispose the endstransversely of said recesses whereby the top and bottom members arelocked against movement from setup position, and pins rotatably mountedin the side membersrespectively and disposed in a plane at right anglesto said side members, said pins having laterally directed ends and theshanks of said pins being freely movable through the recesses'in thefree ends of the'top and bottom members respectively when the .top

mosses and bottom members are moved to knocked down position and adaptedto overlie the top and bottom members when the pins are rotated todispose the outer ends thereof transversely of the recesses in the freeends 20

